State finalizing plan to launch 2 mass vaccination sites in Honolulu

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state is finalizing a plan to launch two mass vaccination sites in Honolulu ― one at Pier 2 and the other at the Neal Blaisdell Center, Lt. Gov. Josh Green said.

“It does look very much like Hawaii Pacific Health and Queen’s will be our partners,” Green said.

If all goes according to plan, Queen’s Health Systems will head up efforts at the Blaisdell. Hawaii Pacific Health will take the lead at Pier 2.

“It’s highly likely we’ll have one significant pod for kupuna. And one for the frontline workers,” he said.

To date, nearly 39,000 people have received the COVID-19 vaccination in Hawaii.

Hilton Raethel, head of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, says each of the two sites will be able to immunize 1,000 people a day. “Maybe even more,” he said. “That’s in addition to what the other hospitals are continuing to do as well.”

Raethel told HNN that the state’s scheduled to receive two more shipments of the Pfizer vaccine this week ― more than 29,000 doses total. Those are the largest deliveries to date.

But he adds the administration change in Washington, D.C. continues to cause confusion, making it impossible to predict how many doses are coming ― and when.

“That makes it very challenging to plan in advance because people have to be scheduled. Staff have to be there to give the vaccine,” Raethel said.

Green added, “I do have high hopes that next Monday there will be a large number of people getting vaccinated by the Hawaii Pacific Health team over at Pier 2.”

He added that the goal is to provide an update Friday with specifics on who can sign up for a vaccine and how to do it. He added all of the details will ultimately be posted at HawaiiCOVID19.com.

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